Thursday, January 10, 2013

Treadmill vs. Pavement

Recently, I’ve been forced to take my outdoor running onto a treadmill because of snow, ice, rain and freezing temperatures. It’s not my favorite thing to do, but it gets the job done. However, I know of many people who prefer the treadmill to running or walking on pavement. So whether you are forced to run or walk on a machine or it’s your preference, here are a few things to consider.

Running or walking on a treadmill will seem easier than doing the same activity outdoors because the belt is being pulled underneath you instead of your legs having to propel you forward.

There is no wind resistance on a treadmill. Therefore, in order to get the same intensity of workout indoors as outdoors, you should always walk/run on a treadmill at a 1% incline to make up for the lack of wind resistance.

Running or walking outdoors provides you with somewhat uneven terrain which can increase your ability to balance.

A treadmill provides a padded belt which is helpful for people with joint problems to have a softer impact than cement.

If you are training for an outdoor race, it is better to train outdoors so that you become accustomed to the wind, terrain differences as well as inclines and declines.

Psychologically, it might be easier to run outdoors because you are going somewhere and a treadmill can become monotonous.

The calorie burn in both options are approximately the same when you set the treadmill to a 1% incline.

The treadmill is a great option for training when the weather is not great outside.

If you are concerned with the pace that you keep and tend to slow down instead of keeping a steady pace, the treadmill might be your best bet because it keeps the pace for you.

Doing interval training on a treadmill is a great way to get faster and scorch calories because you force yourself to run at faster speeds (or you fall off the machine). Click here for the calorie-speed gaining workout I did this morning.

The great outdoors provides different inclines and declines without you having to mess with “settings”

Really, what it boils down to is your preference. Just get moving!

Looking for a way to challenge your body on a treadmill? Click here for a fantastic interval workout.

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A little bit about me

Feeling good and living life to its fullest are my passions. I found that exercise and food help me do both of those things while being a friend, wife, mama, coach, trainer and all sorts of other roles. My goal as a health coach is to find simple but powerful ways to improve people's sleep, body image, gut health and longevity. I hope that some of my little posts speak to you and help with even a tiny bit of every day life. Please comment and let me know what you think or what you do to feel your best and live life to the fullest!